The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-15
PRESIDENTIAL POVERTY.
ANDREW JACKSON'S NIECE BEGs
FOR A NIGHTS LODGING.

FOR A NIGHTS LODGING.
How One of the Washington Family
Peddles Trinkets, and How Jeffer-
sons Grandchildren Work for Their
Living-Tyler's Son Who is in the
Treasury Experimentation Esti-
mates of Presidential Wealth.
From the World.
WASHINGTON Dec. ia niece of An
drew Jackson had to beg for nights lodg-
ing at Washington hotel this week. Sixty
years old and without a cent in her pocket,
she arrived here from Washington Terrific
ny on her way to her friends at Staunton,
Va. Her transportation from Chicago had
been furnished by charity, and it was char
ity that gave her a nights rest here and
sent her on her way South. She had three
grandchildren with her and she was abso-
lutely destitute. She has many friends at
Stanton, and she seemed bright and cheer
full in the midst of her trouble. The chill
dren were well dressed, and they showed no
signs of the sorrow which seems to hang
over the relatives and descendants of our
Presidents.
Thomas Jefferson's granddaughter, Sep
TINA Metxleham, died here recently, leaving
several grandchildren to battle with the
world. One Of her sons, owing to a severe
sickness, is not at all strong mentally. One
of her daughters is not well enough to work
and the other is employed in one of the
government departments Another great
granddaughter of Jefferson has charge of a
school in Baltimore, and Monticello has long
since passed out of the hands of the family.
Just before jefferson died he was so much
in debt that a lottery scheme was gotten up
to sell his property and relieve his necessi-
ties. He left practically nothing to his
children, and they received some two sums
of $4,000 each from the Legislatures Of two
of the Southern States
John Tyler left some property, but it all
went to his second wife. One of his sons,
Gen. John Tyler, who drove four-in-hand
while his father was in the White House,
and who was then called the handsomest
man in Washington, lives off position in
the Treasury Department, and one of
Tyler's most accomplished daughters, a lady
who presided over the Executive Mansion
after her mothers death and until her
father married Julia Gardner, is a guest at
Corcoran's Old Ladies' Home here. A man
who claims to be one of the Washington
family, and who by the way, has a face
strikingly like that of the President, peddles
trinkets in little booth in the Pension
building. Dolly Madison, the Presidents
wife, was, during part of her last days,
furnished food by colored man who had
been in President Madisons service She
got, however, large sum of money from
Congress for MadisOn's papers, and it was
this that eased her declining years.
Most of the Presidents have died poor,
and few of them have made much out of
office-holding. Monroe was so poor that
his latter days were spent with his son-in-
law, Samuel L. Gouverneur, in New Y ork.
and there he died. Harrison left nothing
to speak Of Polk left about $15000O, in
GLIDING Polk Place, at Nashville, where his
widow now lives. 1t is a valuable block of
ground, IN the centre of the town, which
has risen largely in value since the Presi-
dents death.
Martin Van Buren, made money out of
politics. He started life poor and died
well-to-do. One estimate puts his estate at
100000, and he made money in real estate
as well as in the law. Both of the Adamses
were money-savers, if not money-makers.
The letters of John Adams, the second
President, to his wife, Abigail, repeatedly
urge her to cut down the household ex-
penses and to practice economy. He
lunched himself ON oat cake and lemonade
and he walked far oftener than he rode.
John Quincy Adams received nearly
$780, 900 from the government in salaries
during his lifetime, and he possessed the
Yankee thrift. The Adams family at pres
ent is one of the richest in New England
and / was told at Kansas City that Charles
Francis Adams had more than 81, 900, 900 in
vested in real estate there. He has railroad
stocks and bonds in addition, and he makes
his money breed like Australian rabbits
Andrew jackson spent more than his sal
airy while he was in the White House, and
he had to borrow money to keep up with
L. l.
the money that carried him out of Wash
ington when he left the Presidency, and
Andy johnson, though he entertained con-
siderably, is supposed to have saved at least
$500 during his White House career. He
died, am told, worth about 100000, and
the most of this came from economy 1t
was pretty good estate for a tailor to
leave. James Buchanan was making about
$1,000 year at the law when he entered
Congress, and he spent during the Presi-
dency what was left from his living ex-
penses in charity. He was not, however, a
rich man when he died, and his estate of
Wheatlands was sold year or two ago.
President Fillmore began life as a wool
carder. During the three Yeas he was en-
gagged to his sweetheart he had not enough
money to pay the expenses of the hundred
and fifty miles which lay between her home
in Saratoga county n. Y, and where he
W PIdCO1SS law. UEo
first years of their marriage his wife did the
homework and taught school, and still he
died one of the richest of the Presidents.
The greater part of his fortune, however,
came from his second marriage to a rich
woman of Buffalo. whom he courted after
his first wife died.
President Cleveland is supposed to be
worth about 500, 900, and he owns, / am
told, real estate in Buffalo which is rapidly
advancing In value. President Arthur left
much less than he was supposed to be
worth. Garfield shortly before his death
owed $50, 600 to Gen. Swain, and Grant did
not add to his fortune by his White House
career Hayes made money out of the
Presidency, and is rich through inheritances
and economy. The Presidents, as a rule,
have not saved money during their Presi-
dency; but the same abilities which made
them Presidents would, if they had been
used in the field of money making and
money-saving, have given them fortunes.